Combined card alignment scale and clamping device for typewriters having card holding platens



2,721, COMBINED CARD ALIGNMENT SCALE AND CLAMPING DEVICE E. H. RASK Oct. 25, 1955 FOR TYPEWRITERS HAVING CARD HOLDING PLATENS Filed Aug. 9, 1951 FIG. I

United States Patent COMBINED CARD ALIGNMENT SCALE AND CLAMPING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS HAVING CARD HOLDING PLATENS Eric H. Rask, Norwalk, Conn., assignor to Sperry Rand Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application August 9, 1951, Serial No. 241,056

6 Claims. (Cl. 197-135) This invention relates generally to card holding platens and in particular to a combined card alignment scale and clamping device for positioning cards in contour alignment on a platen.

The invention comprises a yieldable card alignment scale member aflixed to a typewriting machine frame and disposed in indicating relation on the typewriter platen. Clamping means are further provided to press the alignment scale member into predetermined spaced relation with the periphery of the platen. Thus, cards disposed in print-receiving relation on said platen may be substantially pressed thereagainst to conform to the contour thereof. The secure retention of said cards prevents smudging of the printed data during the typing thereof, especially so when carbon tape ribbons are employed as the transfer medium.

Said clamping means are manually operable from an ineffective position to an effective position and vice versa to permit accurate smudge-free typing of cards or when desired to permit typing of routine correspondence or the like. In the latter instance it is not necessary nor desirable that an exactingly predetermined clearance exist between the alignment scale member and the platen periphery.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a typewriting machine illustrated with the platen cut away to show the clamping members in their respective ineffective positions.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken along line 33 of Fig. 2 illustrating the general structure of the card holding platen with the card alignment scale in effective cardclamping, platen periphery contour defining position.

Fig. 4 is an isometric projection of one of the clamping members and a portion of the card alignment scale with the clamping member disposed in ineffective position.

The invention is applicable to typewriting machines having card-holding platens of the type generally disclosed in the co-pending application of Dreher and Schremp, entitled Card Holding Platen, filed February 27, 1951, bearing Serial Number 212,978.

The purpose of said platens is to provide means whereby cards may be accurately and repetitiously positioned thereon to receive type on specific predetermined portions of the card face. Such cards are utilized in the preparation of low cost publications such as Directories, Parts Lists, etc., for Photolith reproduction. The cards are adapted to receive one or more lines of typed data thereon and are prepared in conventional typewriters having said card holding platens. Said cards are subsequently assembled in composite relation and photographed. The Photolith plates resulting therefrom reproduce the data typed on said cards as pages of printed information and correspond in appearance to matter printed by the relatively expensive conventional typesetting.

Referring to the drawings in detail, generally desig nates a platen of the character disclosed in the cited copending application. Platen 10 is provided with a planar peripheral portion 12 on which card-clamping plate 14 is pivotally mounted. A longitudinal groove 16 formed on flat portion 12 is adapted to receive spring plate 18 having resilient arms 20 extending therefrom. A hinge plate 22 abutting against spring plate 18 is similarly disposed in longitudinal groove 16. Extending outwardly from hinge plate 22 are plural arcuate pin-supporting arms 24 which are adapted to support a pin 26 thereon. A card stop plate 28 is disposed on hinge plate 22 and the perpendicular projections 30 thereon cooperate with arms 24 to form a bearing support for hinge pin 26. A retaining bar 32 is positioned adjacent to card stop plate 28. Bar 32, secured to platen 10, as by screws 34, retains the above elements in assembled relation. The arcuate card-clamping pressure plate 14 is curved to conform to the periphery of platen 10 and is secured to hinge pin 26. Apertures 38 and slots 40 perforated in pressure plate 14 permit access to screws 34 and permit projections 30 to extend therethrough, respectively. As shown in Fig. 3, resilient arms 20 abut against the lower portion of pressure plate 14 to pivot said plate about hinge pin 26. Card 42 interposed between the periphery of platen 10 and the upper portion of pressure plate 14 is horizontally aligned upon the lower horizontal margin thereof abutting against projections 30. Vertical card margin means, not shown, accurately position card 42 lengthwise on said platen. Means, not shown, are further provided that enable plate 14 to compress resilient arms 20, thus pivoting the upper portion of said pressure plate away from the platen periphery. Said means are provided to facilitate the insertion and removal of cards 42 and are fully disclosed in the cited copending application.

Pressure plate 14 thus secures the lower portion of card 42 to platen 10. The present invention forms the uppermost portion of card 42 into contour alignment with the platen periphery, thereby preventing movement of said card when the type-bearing hammers, not shown, strike said card.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the invention comprises an alignment scale member of substantial rectangular formation having wing tips 52 angularly extending from the opposite endsthereof. Integrally formed from member 50 and extending upwardly therefrom, are arcuate engaging fingers 54 that terminate in angular projections 54a. Recess 55 interposed between fingers 54, provides an unobstructed area through which the type-carrying hammers, not shown, may pass to perform printing operations. Oppositely extending arms 56 having slotted apertures 58 therein are formed from the lower portion of member 50. A substantially U-shaped angular bracket 60 is secured to arms 56, as by screws 62 passing through slotted apertures 58. Apertures 58 are vertically slotted to permit adjustment of member 50 relative to the longitudinal axis of platen 10.

Bracket 60 is secured, as by screws 64, to a second substantially U-shaped bracket 66 that is, in turn, secured to transverse bar 68. Bar 68 is affixed to the typewriter frame. Brackets 60 and 66 are yieldable relative to fixed bar 68.

The free terminals 60a of bracket 60 oppositely extend in parallel relation with the axis of platen 10 and have formed therein, apertures 70. Apertures 70 are provided for a purpose hereinafter appearing.

A pair of oppositely extending angle brackets 72 are secured, as by screws 74, to the respective inner sides of the typewriter side frame walls. The horizontal portions of brackets 72 are disposed in the same plane and terminate in spaced relation. Secured to each of the respective brackets 72, as by screws 75, is an apron plate 76 provided as a means for covering otherwise exposed portions or" the typewriter mechanisms.

A plate 80 is secured to the upper surface of each of the apron plates 76 by means of rivets 82, and has formed therein, a longitudinally extending slot 84. Apron plates 76 are likewise provided with slots 86 disposed in alignment with slots 84, however, slots 86 are of greater Width than slots 84.

Slidably mounted on each of the plates 80 is a latch member 88 having slotted aperture 90 formed adjacent one end thereof and an angularly extending projection 92 at the opposite end thereof. Latch member 88 is Slidably secured to plate 80 by means of large head screw 94 passing through slot 90 and residing in a suitably threaded aperture in plate 80. When so attached, suflicient clearance exists between the head of screw 94 and plate 80 to permit sliding movement of latch plate 88 the length of slot 90. Thumb screw 96 carried by plate 88 is provided with a reduced diametrical portion 96a at the lower terminal thereof. Portion 96a is adapted to reside in a suitable aperture in plate 88 and extends therethrough. A nut 98 is secured to reduced diametrical portion 96a that is threaded. A circular cam 100 is affixed eccentrically to nut 98. Cam 100 is adapted to reside in slot 84, while nut 98, being of greater diameter than the width of said slot, is disposed in slot 86 in apron 76. Cam 100 is slightly thicker than plate 80 so that cam 100 may be firmly secured to latch member 88 without allowing contact between nut 98 and plate 80 which would interfere with the sliding of latch member 88 on plate 80. The lowermost portion 96a of thumb screw 96 has aflixed thereto one end of coil spring 102. The other end of spring 102 is anchored to a pin 104 secured to bracket 72. Accordingly, springs 102 normally urge latch members 88 to their respective outermost positions.

Portions 92 of latch members 88 are provided with camming edges 106 and projections 108. Latch plates 88 are independently manually movable inwardly against the tension of springs 102 to their respective latching positions wherein camming edges 106 engage projections 60a of bracket 60. Continued manual pressure cams each projection 60:: rearwardly until projection 108 on the respective latch member 88 enters aperture 70. Projections 108, accordingly, latch members 88 in camming engagement with projections 60a.

Projections 60a, when urged rearwardly by members 88, move yieldable scale member 50 toward the periphery of platen 10. Therefore, a card 42, interposed between fingers 54 of member 50 and platen 10, conforms to the contour of the periphery of said platen. Accordingly, card 42 is disposed in substantially overall engagement with the platen periphery and cannot be moved transversely of the platen axis by the blows of the type upon the hammers. Thus, clean smudge-free printing is accomplished.

To release fingers 54- of scale member 50 from pressing engagement with card 42, thumb screws 96 are manually moved apart to disengage members 88 from projections 60a.

The faces of projections 108 on latch members 88 are of slight angular formation to facilitate manual separation thereof from apertures 70 in projections 60a. The inherent resiliency of bracket 60 restores scale member 50 to its forward position whereby a nominal clearance exists between fingers 54a and platen 10. Accordingly, the typewriter may be utilized in a conventional manner with the recording medium freely passable between scale member 50 and platen 10.

Cams 100 on the respective thumb screws 96 provide means for adjusting the predetermined space between member 50 and platen periphery. Cams 100 are eccentrically mounted, therefore, rotation of the respective nuts 98 pivots members 88 about their respective large head screws 94. Thus, the distance that members 88 may move member 50 toward platen is variable. Tightening of thumb screws 96 secures cams 100 in adjusted relation.

The conventional rolls used on the usual paper bail are shown in dotted lines at 110 in Fig. 3 and the usual paper clamps at 111 in dotted lines. These rolls 110 and clamps 111 are not effective in holding an index card against the platen where it is desired to type a line along the upper margin contiguous to the upper edge.

The construction as hereinabove described efiiectively holds the upper card margin against the platen and avoids smearing of typed letters on said margin which would otherwise occur.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a typewriting machine having a card holding platen that accurately positions the lower horizontal margin of a card thereon, a card alignment scale adapted for yieldable movement in a transverse direction relative to the axis of the platen, a pair of slidable members, means normally positioning said members in one of two positions, means to manually move said slidable members to the second of said two positions, means adapted to engage and move said scale a predetermined space from said platen when said slidable members are moved to said second position, means to latch said slidable members in said second position, and means to adjust said scale engaging means whereby the predetermined space between said scale and said platen may be varied.

2. In a typewriting machine having a card holding platen that accurately positions the lower horizontal margin of a card thereon, a card alignment scale resiliently mounted on a fixed portion of said machine in substantial alignment with the upper margin of the card, a pair of independently actuable slidable members adapted to engage and move said scale into a predetermined coaxial spaced relation with said platen, means to guide the movement of said slidable members, and means to adjust said guide means to vary said predetermined spaced relation.

3. In a typewriting machine having a platen with means for holding a card thereon along the lower margin, means to position the upper portion of a card in contour alignment with the periphery of said platen comprising an alignment scale member having card engaging means and means manually operable to engage said scale member and actuate said card engaging means to a predetermined spaced card holding relationship with respect to said card holding platen to hold the card in said platen contour alignment upon its insertion in said card-holding platen and manually operable to disengage from said scale member for card removal, and detent means to repeatedly latch said manually operable means in said predetermined spaced card holding position of engagement with said alignment scale member and release said manually operable means for card removal.

4. In a typewriting machine having a frame, a platen having means for holding a card thereon along the lower margin, said frame having a substantially horizontal plate portion in front of said platen, means to position the upper portion of a card in contour alignment with the periphery of said platen comprising an alignment scale member having a card engaging finger and a manually operable scale member engaging and clamping member,

' said clamping member sliding laterally on said horizontal plate portion to engage said scale member and actuate said card engaging finger, complementary pivoting means and locking means carried by said clamping member and said plate portion cooperating to vary the point of engagement of said clamping member with said scale member, and complementary latching means carried by said clamping member and detent means by said scale member cooperating upon actuation of said clamping member to latch said scale member and said card engaging finger repeatedly in a predetermined spaced card holding relationship with respect to said card holding platen, according to the pivotal adjustment of said pivoting means.

5. In a typewriter having a frame, a platen having means for holding a card thereon along the lower margin,

said frame having a substantially horizontal plate portion in front of said platen, an alignment scale member mounted on said frame and having the upper end formed to provide a card engaging finger movable toward and from said platen surface to engage the upper margin of a card carried by said platen, a clamping member having one end slidably and pivotally mounted on said horizontal plate portion and having the opposite end formed to engage said scale member and operate said card engaging finger to engage and hold the upper margin of a card in contact with the periphery of said platen at one end of its movement and to disengage said scale member at the other end of its movement, and said horizontal plate portion and clamping member having complementary means thereon to guide said clamping member in a predetermined path to obtain a predetermined pressure of engagement of said finger against said upper card margin in holding said card margin against said platen.

6. In a typewriter having a frame, a platen having means for holding a card thereon along the lower margin, said frame having a substantially horizontal plate portion in front of said platen, an alignment scale member mounted on said frame and having the upper end formed to provide a card engaging finger movable toward and from said platen surface to engage the upper margin of a card carried by said platen, a clamping member having one end slidably and pivotally mounted on said horizontal plate portion and having the opposite end formed to engage said scale member and operate said card engaging finger to engage and hold the upper margin of a card in contact with the periphery of said platen at one end of its movement and to disengage said scale member at the other end of its movement, and said horizontal plate portion and clamping member having complementary means thereon to guide said clamping member in a predetermined path, said complementary means comprising camming means carried by said clamping member and cam guiding means carried by said plate portion, adjustment of said camming means being effective to vary the point of engagement of said scale member engaging end with said scale member and thereby predetermining for repeated action the pressure of engagement of said card engaging finger against said upper card margin in bolding said card margin against said platen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 903,482 Knapp Nov. 10, 1908 990,919 Steele May 2, 1911 1,012,143 Miller Dec. 19, 1911 1,340,488 Kurowski May 18, 1920 1,348,946 Hokanson Aug. 10, 1920 

